A LIGONIEL man has began a protest in an attempt to have a piece of land beside Boodles Dam restored to its ‘natural beauty’.

Jackie Foster set up camp on the piece of land last Friday (22 November) saying he has no plans to leave until  somebody takes responsibility for the mess.

“This bit of land got thousands for a clean up but if nothing it has got worse as you can see from the rubbish and everything else and the state the place has been left in,” said Jackie.

“When they came in here they moved all the rats’ nests and now the estate is infested with rats.”

Jackie has had previous encounters with Belfast City Council about his animals, one of which was lifted from the piece of land a number of weeks ago but he says this issue has nothing to do with his animals it is about what is best for the community.

“This is not an animal issue. I want somebody to take responsibility for the ground. It has been going on for too long.

“Belfast City Council won’t acknowledge me and won’t speak to me but they may come out and speak to me now because I am on the land.

“Everybody in the area feels the exact same way. There is debris and dumping all around. Where is the £80,000 that was spent here?

“I used to fish and swim here as a kid and we want the natural beauty put back into our community.”

A spokesperson for Belfast City Council said, “The Council has in recent months been undertaking extensive clearance works at Ligoniel Park. The works are essential to ensure that Boodle’s dam may be maintained in line with current legislative requirements.
The first part of the work was to clear all the trees and vegetation. The next phase is to clean-up the area and the Council is in the process of sourcing this work. Officers are working closely with the Ligoniel Improvement Association to address any concerns.”